Silicon Valley-based ‘Giga Solar’ have released commercially-sized solar PV modules weighing as low as 2.3 kg. The Giga Solar composite structure eliminates the use of industry‑standard glass for module encapsulation. […]
SolarCity chief says solar growth will be ‘infinite’ once grid parity is reached
SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive has forecast ‘infinite’ growth in the global solar market, as soon as unsubsidised solar PV is able to generate energy at a lower cost than traditional […]
Aussie investors Southern Cross Ventures back US solar-plus-storage startup
A leading US developer of battery storage and energy management systems has gained backing from Australian cleantech investment fund Southern Cross Venture Partners. Southern Cross led a $15 million fundraising […]
Sunshine Coast Council shows support for solar in RET Review submission
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Council has predicted that local governments could lead significant growth in Australia’s utility-scale solar market, developing projects to protect themselves and their ratepayers against rising electricity prices. […]
Renewable energy policy uncertainty holding Australia back in global solar boom
Renewable energy policy uncertainty threatens to put Australia even further behind the global solar pace, according to the comments from within two of the booming industry’s biggest players. In an […]
NSW’s recommended solar feed-in tariff rates fall slightly in final IPART report
The volatility of Australia’s solar support mechanisms has been illustrated afresh this week, with NSW again lowering the recommended feed-in tariff price for rooftop PV in the state. NSW’s Independent […]
Shady Deals at MIT a Benefit to Solar PV
A team of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has won US$225,000 for developing an integrated chip that can recover up to twice as much wasted energy from […]
New chemical breakthrough with stabilised lithium could enable safer, cheaper Lithium-ion batteries
While many contend that lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries may be replaced with other, more promising battery technologies in the long run, incremental improvements continue to keep Li-ion relevant with promises of […]
Dark times for PV may mean good things for Australian solar industry
Natcore Technology has taken one step towards enabling the commercial production of its low‑cost black silicon solar cells by conducting batch testing at one of the world’s largest photovoltaic manufacturers, […]
‘Solar Tree’ Carports and EV charging stations installed in USA rollout
Envision Solar International’s ‘Solar Tree’ PV mounting and tracking system will be deployed nationwide in all outdoor car parks for a major US department store chain. The name of the […]
Aussie solar growth continues with Queensland leading on residential installs
The Australian solar market is still showing signs of healthy growth, according to the latest report for Green Energy Markets, with a rising share of commercial based systems, particularly in […]
How to get the most out of your solar PV system part 1: System sizing & power usage
Anyone who has done some investigation into having solar panels installed in Australia should by now understand that the whole endeavour only makes economic sense if the home in question […]
Hazelwood coal plant operator’s RET submission says solar PV still uneconomical
The owner of one of Australia’s dirtiest coal-fired power plants has argued that the cost of solar PV is unlikely to fall in future years, due to falling profitability of […]
Aussie rooftop solar now 5% of total generation capacity: IEA
Rooftop solar PV now accounts for around 5 per cent of electricity capacity and 2 per cent of electricity generation in Australia, according to a report from the International Energy […]
Commercial PV Price Index – June 2014
Solar Choice’s Commercial PV Price Index is published monthly to provide a glimpse into national pricing trends among solar systems 10kW-100kW in capacity in Australia’s major cities, and as a complement […]
Developing nations drive global renewables growth with strong policy
Developing nations are driving new global renewables growth, with increasing numbers of governments around the world adopting strong policy mechanisms to boost renewable energy uptake and innovation, a new report […]
Spain’s Onyx Solar now offering high-end BIPV solutions on the Australian market
Spain-based building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) product manufacturer and project developer Onyx Solar has recently begun distributing its products in the Australian market. The company, whose offerings range from BIPV glass to […]
Solar PV Price Index – June 2014
On the whole, system prices fell slightly between May and June. 1.5kW system prices look more or less steady across the board, while average pricing for 4kW, 5kW and 10kW […]
Solar Choice Commercial brokers 100kW solar installation for Ainsworth Gaming Technology
International Ainsworth Game Technology recently switched on a 100kW solar array for the company’s office in Sydney through Solar Choice. Ainsworth first approached Solar Choice in November 2013 after receiving a quote […]
Rooftop solar continues to grow in Queensland
Queensland‘s rooftop solar rush continues unabated, with the addition of 3,687 PV systems in May adding 16.2MW of new solar capacity to the grid. According to metering figures from Energex, solar […]
Energy storage at center of discussion at Intersolar Europe 2014
Energy storage has dominated discussion in the opening days of the world’s biggest solar conference, the Intersolar Europe 2014 in Munich, with industry leaders pinpointing it as a major component of the […]
Australian concentrating solar demo plant sets solar heat record
A CSIRO-developed Australian solar thermal project has achieved what is being described as a game-changing breakthrough, demonstrating the technology’s potential to compete with modern coal-fired plants. The CSIRO Energy Centre […]
Toyota to install 500kW rooftop solar array on Victoria manufacturing plant
One of Australia’s largest rooftop solar systems has been completed, with the successful installation of a 500kW array on Toyota Australia’s Altona North manufacturing plant, in Victoria. Backed by the […]
Queensland regulated residential electricity prices to increase 13% from 1 July 2014
The average Queensland home on a regulated electricity tariff will see its power bills increase by around 13% for the financially year 2014-2015, or $191 annually, according to the Queensland Competition […]
Speed of BIPV’s growth will depend on technological advances, types of materials: NanoMarkets
In the growing market for zero net energy buildings, Building integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) products are increasingly sought by designers and clients to provide energy production whilst fulfilling a required function. […]
Abengoa feasibility study could pave the way for solar thermal with storage in Australia
Spanish renewable energy giant Abengoa has secured $450,000 in funds from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to conduct a feasibility study into building a 20MW solar thermal tower plant with […]
Power Japan Plus introduces dual-carbon batteries to replace lithium-ion
Power Japan Plus, a Japanese battery technology start-up, revealed a new carbon-based battery as a replacement for lithium-ion technology. The new battery, trademarked Ryden, offers comparable energy densities to Lithium-ion […]
NSW government backs RET but recommends substantial changes
The NSW government has fallen short of calling for Australia’s Renewable Energy Target be scrapped, instead recommending significant changes to the legislation, including delaying its large-scale component, and clamping rooftop […]
Silex Systems says Mildura CPV plant on track despite ARENA worries
Australian company Silex Systems has sought to reassure investors that its flagship 100MW concentrating solar PV power project in Victoria is still on track despite changes to Australia’s clean energy […]
Regional Queensland solar feed-in tariff set for 6.5¢/kWh
The Queensland Competition Agency (QCA) has released its final determination on the 2014-2015 solar feed-in tariff for regional Queensland (i.e. the Ergon Energy network), raising the rate slightly from 6.3¢/kWh to […]
Renewable energy projects to get funding as USAid’s Power Africa initiative kicks into gear
A $7 billion fund through the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) will pave the way for greater deployment of energy projects in Africa, many of which will be […]
